die Ähre, -n
ear
Definition & meaning
Ähre means ear or spike: the seed-bearing flower cluster of cereal plants and some grasses, such as wheat or barley. The grains grow along a central stem.
It can also refer more generally, in botany, to a flower cluster arranged along a central axis.
Grammar & Word origin
Ähre is a feminine noun: die Ähre. Its plural is die Ähren.
The word is not transparently made up of smaller German words. It has Old High German roots and is related to older Germanic words for an ear of grain.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Getreideähre means a cereal ear specifically, while Ähre can also describe the flower cluster of other grasses.
- Fruchtstand is a broader botanical term for a plant’s fruit-bearing structure; it is not limited to an Ähre.
There is no direct antonym.
Common phrases & collocations
- reife Ähre [?](vocabuo://word/reife Ähre) — ripe ear of grain
- goldene Ähren [?](vocabuo://word/goldene Ähren) — golden ears of grain
- eine Ähre schneiden [?](vocabuo://word/eine Ähre schneiden) — to cut an ear of grain
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Examples
Eine Ähre in einem Weizenfeld symbolisiert oft die Ernte.noun
An ear in a wheat field often symbolizes the harvest.
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